


The Zora Prince

by Invinciblecomics



Category: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Video Game), The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Action/Adventure, Attempt at Humor, Feral Behavior, Fluff, Gen, Light Angst, M/M, Magic, Sidon - Freeform, Zora Courting, Zora Culture, Zora's Domain
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:16:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27690571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Invinciblecomics/pseuds/Invinciblecomics
Summary: It is several generations after the events of Breath of the Wild and Hyrule has changed dramatically. Although there is peace, evidence of the current Hylian King taking part in the trafficking of rare Zoras has come to surface. The young Zora Prince, Kota, sets out on a mission to free the captured Zoras and stop the business once and for all, along with Verim, General of the Zora Military, and a strange Zora named Zaris and his witty Hylian mate Enu. This thrilling adventure explores Zora culture and the problems the different Zora breeds face in a more modern setting.
Kudos: 5





	The Zora Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following a group of Hylian poachers, Kota and Verim meet a strange couple, who claim the Hylian King is involved in the trafficking of rare Zoras.

The Zora Passage. A water road from Zora's Domain to all of Hyrule. It was a river that stretched miles throughout the country, offering safe passage to all Zoras. Rumour had it it was built after the Great Calamity, by an Ancient Zora with the ability to control oceans. Scattered along the river were dozens of bars, markets and inns. Some built by fellow Zoras, others by Hylians looking to make an extra rupee. The Zora Passage expanded the reach of the Zora Kingdom and changed Hyrule for the better.

However, some far ends of the Zora Passage were best avoided by common travellers. With no Zora guards present, these places had gained either good or bad names, depending on who you asked. Hammerhead Hill was such a place. It was usually overrun by Hammerhead Zoras and those with the purest bloodlines were treated like nobles.

It was no place for a Black Tip.

Kota was perfectly aware of this. And normally he'd have avoided such a place, as it was his instinct. He hated the strong and charismatic Hammerheads as much as the next Black Tip, but that was not why he was here.

As he entered the only bar on Hammerhead Hill, all eyes were set on him. Kota had to take a deep breath to keep his composure. The entire bar was filled with Hammerheads, each of them lean and tall. Some glared at him, while most chuckled.

"A Black Tip?" "The little guy's got guts, that's for sure." "What an idiot." "Guess he's got a death wish."

He pushed himself to the bar. Typical. The bartender was a Whale Shark. A docile yet strong breed, probably more than willing to follow the Hammerheads's every order without questioning them.

"What can I do you for?" The bartender asked after a brief glance. Her gaze was a mixture of concern and amusement.

He took a seat behind the bar. Here goes nothing. "I'm looking for some entertainment," he said.

She raised a brow. "Music night is later this week, sorry," she said. She turned to tend to other guests.

"That's not what I meant," Kota blurted. His tail twitched involuntarily when a couple of Hammerheads looked his way. "I'm looking for a Koi. Word has it there are some here providing... services."

She looked over her shoulder, an unimpressed expression resting on her face. "You must be mistaken, young one. There's no such thing here."

He took out his bag before she could walk away. It jingled when he put it down. "Don't worry, I'll pay upfront."

The Whale Shark walked back over to him, remaining silent while she inspected the bag of gold. There was enough gold to buy the entire establishment. She looked back and forth between the bag and the young Black Tip, raising her brows. “Very well,” she said, and lowered her voice. “There's one of them down at the inn with a couple of Hylians. He's being transported tomorrow, but I am sure that for the right price you can get some private time with him.” She paused. “I hope you weren't hoping for a female.”

Male or female. It didn't matter. He knew where the Koi was now. "Thank you," Kota said and got up.

The bartender scraped her throat, then made an impatient gesture.

"Right," Kota mumbled. He tossed the Whale Shark a piece of gold. The Whale Sharks were supposed to be total pushovers, weren't they? Maybe the Hammerhead attitude had rubbed off on her. He exited the bar as fast as possible and began heading to the Inn.

A few minutes later another Zora arrived at Hammerhead Hill. He too headed straight for the bar upon his arrival. However, this one wasn't met with condescending glares from the Hammerheads. Instead, they eyed him with fearful and quick glances. Some others opted to call him over, an obvious attempt to get on the man’s good side.

"General!" The Whale Shark behind the bar exclaimed. She shot him a wide-eyed look, before quickly fetching a drink and rushing it over to him. "How have you been, sir?"

The General sat down and released a grunt looking down at the beverage. Without touching it, he eyed the bartender and narrowed his slit eyes at her. "Cut the crap, Naluh," he grumbled, barely audible. "Your innocent Whale Shark charade hasn't worked on me since the day we met, and it will not work now. Tell me about the Koi." He glared over at a pair of eavesdropping Hammerheads, who glanced away.

The bartender knew lying would not do much good here. "Look, none of us had any part in this," she urged. "The Hylians are just passing through. That's all."

He got up from his chair, taking his time as he looked her in the eye. He was perfectly aware of his ability to silence the room just by being quiet.

Eventually, he spoke. "Keep telling yourself that. I'm sure the Queen will spare you when she finds out you're looking the other way for a few rupees." He turned and headed for the door.

Once he was outside, he took a deep breath of fresh air and then... No, it couldn't be. That smell... He wandered down to the inn. The General frowned. Now he was certain. That scent could only belong to one person.

“Piss off!” The Black Tip growled at the Hammerhead before him. “You’ve got the wrong idea, Hammerhead!”

The male took a few steps back, waving his hands in the air. “Calm down, little Black Tip. Can’t blame a guy for wondering. It’s mating season.”

“Fuck off,” he hissed. Every part of his being was telling him to run.

“Ahem. Mind if I join you guys?” A voice sounded from behind them.

"General Verim!" The Hammerhead said in surprise. He stepped away from Kota.

The General stepped forward, his back straightened and his posture formal. "I see you’ve found the Crown Prince. How nice of you. The Queen’s been asking for him."

The Hammerhead shot the Prince a terrified look, dropping to a bow. “Y-Your Highness! I’m sorry if I insulted you.”

The Black Tip huffed. “Don’t embarrass me. We both know you’re only bowing because **he’s** here.” He glanced over to the General.

The male was more than his teacher; he was a Hammerhead. A pureblood. Verim, General of the Zora Military. It was a title he’d truly earned, along with the trust of the Royal family. There was no better irony, a Hammerhead working under his natural prey. It had never bothered him, though. Verim saw no reason disregard the Black Tips that ruled his Kingdom. An admirable quality rarely found in his kind.

Verim shot the Black Tip an amused look, then gestured at the Hammerhead to leave.

The male didn’t need to be told twice and ran off.

Trembling in fear, the young Prince finally broke down. He let himself drop to his knees and buried his face in his hands. “I’m sorry,” he squeaked. “I shouldn’t have come here. This was stupid.”

As the General walked over to him, he shot him a sympathetic look. “You’re right,” he agreed. “So why did you?”

“I thought I could be of help,” Kota said. “I heard about the Koi and I wanted to help him. You know how my mother always tells me to be a good example. Hylia, she must be worried sick.”

Verim sat down next to him. “I was lying when I said your mother was looking for you. I don’t think she knows you’re not in the Domain.”

The Black Tip looked up. Although fairly short, the Hammerhead was a prime example of his kind. He was lean and athletic and although he was getting older, his skin still shimmered a bright red shade. The elaborate armour complimented him. “That’s good. I’d never hear the end of it if she finds out. Hylia, I’m such a coward.”

“I’m impressed you put up a brave face as long as you did,” the Hammerhead chuckled. “At least that guy won’t bother you again.” He glanced down at the bag of gold, then shook his head. “You’re lucky he didn’t rob you.”

“He thought I was a prostitute,” Kota said and laughed.

The General snorted. “Right. Just promise me you won’t go out with a stash of gold next time.” He looked down.

“Yeah, I suppose this was overkill.”

“It’s downright stupidity,” the General said. “Hammerhead Hill is no place for you. You should know this.”

Kota gazed off. “I do,” he muttered, fidgeting with the webbing between his fingers. “I guess I just wanted to be the courageous type for once.”

Rising to his feet, the Hammerhead sighed. “You can be,” he assured him. “Just not by yourself.”

The Black Tip looked up. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying if you want to help the Koi you may join me. Just do as I say, so you won’t get hurt.” He offered him a slight smile.

The Prince jumped up. “Really?!” He smiled brightly. “My mother will kill you if she finds out, you know that right?”

“Well, occupational hazard, I suppose,” the Hammerhead said. “Come on, Your Highness, let’s go.” He began heading towards the inn.

The Prince chuckled. “Don’t call me that, Verim.”

They were gone! The inn was empty!

"Where did those Hylians with the Koi Zora go?" Verim growled angrily at the innkeeper.

The Hylian shook his head, trembling while he stared at the bared fangs of the Hammerhead. 

"Ugh," the General growled. "We'll track them down ourselves, then." He shot Kota a look. "Come on, let's follow their scent before it wears off."

The Black Tip nodded. At least that was something he had in common with Hammerheads. They both had an amazing sense of smell. "I'm sorry," Kota said as they exited the inn, following the scent of multiple Hylians and a strange Zora.

"For what?" The Hammerhead was too focused to fully pay attention.

"It’s my fault you were slowed down."

The General sighed, then shook his head. "Let's focus on finding them. They can't have gotten far. This trail is fresh." For a moment the Hammerhead paused, squeezing his brows together as he sniffed the air a couple of times. "Do you smell that?"

Kota sniffed. "Do I smell what?"

He released a grunt. "Hm, probably nothing."

“There!”

The fleeing Hylians were no match for the noses of two shark-like Zoras. The Hylian poachers were crossing Lake Hylia. They had clearly tried to stray away from the Zora Passage, but it had been in vain.

"Remember what I taught you?" The General asked as they sprinted towards the Hylians. There were five of them.

Kota nodded. "I can do this," he said, mostly reassuring himself.

"This is a real fight, Kota," Verim warned him. "And they likely carry shock arrows."

As if on cue, the small Hylian in the back called for the others to pass him the shock arrows. This was it then. Kota's first real fight.

"I'll take out the archer. You deal with the other four," The General instructed him.

Kota wanted to question him. Wouldn't the small Hylian be the easiest to take out? He wasn't going to oppose the General, however, and quickly moved ahead. He evaded the first Hylian’s sword, grabbed the male and tossed him at the second Hylian. Both of them fell off the bridge.

Verim slid past them, charging at the small Hylian. The Hylian drew his bow, firing arrows left and right. They came just close enough that the Hammerhead had to slow down and dodge them.

Meanwhile the Black Tip was busy dodging spears from two Hylians at once. His agility didn’t favour him for long, however, and he was hit in the side. It was a superficial wound. Kota fell back for a second, growling in frustration. 

The Hylians hesitated. They had a good reason to fear the Black Tip. He was taller, stronger and physically far more adapted to fighting. For these Hylians a Black Tip was as much an apex predator as a Hammerhead. 

Kota charged at them again. He grabbed a spear when the Hylian jerked it towards him, pulled on it hard enough to cause the Hylian to fall on his face, then blocked the other Hylian’s spear with the one in his hands. He used the back of the spear to push the Hylian off the bridge.

The other male had gotten back to his feet and grabbed his sword. Just as he began to charge at the Black Tip a shock arrow flying past him blocked his path.

"Seriously?" Verim growled. That arrow had slid right past all of them. And so had all the others. "No one misses with that much precision. Why are you messing with me?"

The small Hylian took a step back. "Messing with you? I'd never do such a thing," he said, shrugging nonchalantly. The young male wasn't the least bit worried.

The Hammerhead stepped closer. "What game are you playing at? Are you not with these men?"

He raised his hand in defeat. "I wouldn't dream of playing games with a Great Hammerhead," he huffed. The male had dark skin and long, braided hair. His physique was rather petite, even for a Hylian. "Looks like I am out of arrows. Oh well. Guess you two will have to kill me then."

Having just disarmed the last Hylian, Kota turned to Verim and the archer. He wasn't quite sure what was going on here, but he was happy to accept the Hylian's invitation. Without taking a moment to think, he sprinted towards him.

"Kota, don't-"

Suddenly, a giant Zora jumped onto the bridge and pinned the young Prince down with his massive weight, baring his large teeth. His growl was so intense Kota felt a whimper escape his lips. He instantly let his body go limp, taking on a submissive pose. Just another Black Tip instinct that Kota had come to hate.

The General moved to grab his sword, but paused when he was met with a set of angry black and golden eyes.

The Hylian hadn't moved an inch. He simply stood there grinning. "Nice to meet you guys," he said with a bright smile. He'd expected this to happen. He’d known this giant Zora would protect him.

Kota finally dared to open his eyes. The Zora’s massive size and creepy black eyes were the first things he noticed, but... That colouration... "You're a Black Tip?" He said in shock, momentarily forgetting his fear.

The large Zora huffed, then let his expression soften. He eyed the Prince curiously, as if releasing the person beneath him was in fact another Zora. There was something so feral and wild about the male that Kota expected he couldn't speak. "Yes?"

"A Black Tip?" The General barked, still in a defensive position. "More like a Great White."

The giant Black Tip shot Verim a glare, letting go of the Prince. Standing up, it became clear just how tall he was. Even taller than the biggest Whale Shark currently living in the Domain. His size, his rough pattern and dark eyes gave the Zora a monster-like appearance. Neither of the other two Zoras had ever seen anything like him. "I am no Great White, Hammerhead," the male growled defensively.

At that very moment the General lost all precautions. Even he had been intimidated by his large size, just for a second. 

Kota quickly scrambled back to his feet and stood behind him. 

"Judging by your reaction, there is definitely some Black Tip in there," Verim purred. Black Tip markings and a natural distaste for Hammerheads? Yeah, he knew enough.

"H-how are you this big?" Kota stuttered from where he was cowering behind Verim.

"This is what you get mixing two completely pure bloodlines together. You get strange looking hybrids," Verim explained before the large Zora could respond.

The male took a step closer, curling his hands into fists and flashing his impressive teeth.

The Hammerhead did not move.

"It's always about pure bloodlines with you Hammerheads," he hissed. "Do not mistake me sparing the Black Tip for being merciful. I'd never kill a Black Tip, but I can think of a thousand reasons to end your miserable bloodline, pure blood."

Verim raised his hands, a slight smile resting on his face. "Can't blame you. My kind isn't exactly open minded."

"Being a racist breed is the least of your crimes!" The giant Black Tip hissed.

"Hey, hey," the Hylian interrupted. He was annoyed. "This is a bit of a tangent, don't you think? Shouldn't you two be wondering why I, a Zora trafficker, under the protection of this giant Zora male?"

The Hammerhead gave him an unimpressed look. "I remember asking you about your intentions, but if you insist on telling me you’re not one of these poachers then go ahead."

"You weren't supposed to ask until now," the Hylian grumbled. "Zaris is right. You Hammerheads are frustratingly witty."

"Zaris, hm?" The General said and shot the hybrid Zora an amused look.

"I don't think that's a Hammerhead thing. That's just a Verim thing," Kota added, still cowering behind the Hammerhead.

"Can we all focus on what's important here?" The Hylian sneered.

The Hammerhead snorted. "Yeah, sure, go on. Explain to us who you are."

The Hylian released a frustrated sigh. "Finally," he grumbled. "So, as I was trying to explain, I am not one of these poachers. My name is Enu. I am a Hylian from the Faron region and this is my mate, Zaris. We have been tracking down these poachers for a long time. I posed as one of them to find out where the Koi was being shipped to. Zaris and I were going to take them out once we reached the destination, but you two conveniently intervened."

"Yeah, what about the Koi? Is he alright?" The Prince asked and peeked into the carriage that was holding the Koi.

"Ahem." The Hylian scraped his throat.

The Black Tip eyed him impatiently. "Right. Sorry. Continue," he said.

Enu was almost a little too happy to answer that question. "Get ready for this one. They were taking him to... the Hylian King."

The Hammerhead and the Black Tip eyed each other in shock. "The King?"

"Yes, the King," the Hylian sighed. "He's been quite a client for these guys, apparently. They were complaining about all the difficult Zoras he's had them capture."

"If that's true, we ought to pay him a visit," the Hammerhead grumbled at Kota.

"I can't believe this," the Prince replied. "The Hylian King has been nothing but helpful to my mother."

"Your mother?" Enu asked and raised his eyebrows.

"The Queen," Verim answered shortly. He paused to inspect the small Hylian. "I apologise for my manners. It hadn't really occurred to me to introduce myself properly amidst our battle. I am General Verim, General of the Zora Military. This is Prince Kota, heir to the throne."

The Hylian was shocked. "An apex serving under a Black Tip? Well, if that isn't the pinnacle of irony then I don't know what is. Times sure change, don't they?" He looked over to his mate, then pouted when the male was still boiling with rage. "Stop trying to ignite the General with your eyes."

The hybrid grumbled something inaudible.

"Queen Carcha has been in power for over a hundred years. I am surprised you don’t know, considering your mate is a Zora. Part Black Tip, too."

"When are you going to let that go?" Zaris growled angrily. "Not all of us are perfect pure bloods!"

The Hammerhead remained unimpressed. "Very few Zoras are. If anything, you have purer bloodlines than most of the Zoras alive today."

"I don't care about that!" His eyes appeared to glow.

"Seems to me you care more about it than I do," Verim said with a shrug. "But I can't blame you. Having both the instincts from a Black Tip and a Great White can't be easy. No wonder you act up."

"For the last time, I am **_not_ ** a Great White!" In his rage, he flung his arms forward. There was a faint glow in the amulet around his neck.

The Hylian took a step aside, while the other two Zoras were caught completely off guard by a sudden large wave of water sweeping them off the bridge and sending them flying into Lake Hylia. Being Zoras, it didn't harm them. Their species was made to live both on land and underwater, after all, but the two were certainly in shock.

"What the hell?!" Kota squeaked as he resurfaced.

The General poked his head out as well, staring up at the bridge in both admiration and shock.

"Sorry about that!" The Hylian yelled at the two, waving his arms at them.

"That's... unusual," the Hammerhead mumbled.

"Watch your step," the Hylian said, guiding the Koi out of the carriage.

Standing a little further away along the bridge was the General, the Prince and Zaris.

"Don’t mind me trying to fully understand it," Verim said, grabbing the pendant around the hybrid's neck and inspecting it closer. "So this thing gives you magic? So if someone else were to wear this they'd be able to bend water like that too?"

"No," Zaris hissed. He was no longer in his rage, but clearly maintained his natural distaste for the Hammerhead. He snatched the amulet away from him. "This only works on me, so don't even think about it, Hammerhead."

Verim raised his hands. "I am not interested in wielding that kind of power. I know you won’t believe me, but not all Hammerheads are power hungry."

Zaris shot him another glare. "I don’t care," he growled. "You've betrayed the Zora race for thousands of years and a single Hammerhead following orders from a Black Tip doesn't change that."

The Hammerhead took a moment to think. "Hm, curious," he mumbled. "That does sound like something my kind would do. What history book did you get that from? Because I am not too certain what you are referring to."

Zaris narrowed his eyes at him. "You're way too quick to talk down on your own kind. What are you after?"

Verim shrugged. "Nothing bad if that's what you're thinking."

"Hm, sure," the hybrid huffed.

"So where'd you get that amulet?" Verim asked.

"In a place long forgotten."

"That's conveniently vague."

Kota made his way over to the Hylian. Zaris his hatred for Hammerheads was too much, even for him. Even if he was part Black Tip, the male was... intimidating, to say the least. "How's he holding up?"

The Black Tip had asked the question before taking a proper look at the Koi. As soon as he laid eyes on him he wondered how he could have missed him. The Koi had clear, white scales that reflected all kinds of colours against the sunlight, along with contrasting black markings. He was small yet curvy. Where most Zoras had muscles, this young male had a layer of fat that was somehow rather flattering on his petite figure. All of his features were pushed to the extreme. His fins were huge and wavy, with beautiful bright colours. His tail especially was extremely large. There was no way it was functional, but it was extremely pretty. The Koi was, well, beautiful. He suddenly ran out of words to say.

The Koi looked up at him with his bright blue eyes. His first reaction was shock and he quickly cowered behind the Hylian.

"Don't worry, he is one of the men that came to save you," Enu assured the Koi and gave him a gentle pat.

"Really?" The Koi blinked at the Prince, visibly building up the courage to approach him. When he finally did, Kota could only describe him as adorable. He looked almost like a hatchling braving the waters for the first time. "Uh, th-thank you, for saving me," he stuttered. His words were genuine.

The Black Tip was equally hesitant when he spoke. "You... really don't have to thank me. I'm just doing my job as a Prince." The moment he caught himself playing the royalty card he felt a blush coming over him. Why did he just say that? Surely he had better tactics to impress the small Koi.

The minnow's eyes widened with excitement. "You're a Prince? A real Zora Prince?" He spoke with the excitement of someone who had never seen the world before, which Kota realised was probably not too far from the truth.

"Y-yeah, but that doesn't make me a good person or anything. I mean, I am. I... I like to think I am. I try. But you shouldn't like me just because I'm a Prince. Not that you have to like me at all." He buried his face in his hand before he could say more. Great. He wouldn't mind being a little more like Verim right about now.

"You saved me, so of course I like you," the Koi responded and smiled brightly.

Hylia, he almost wanted to just let the Koi think that way. "I, uh, I really didn’t do that much."

“Well, I still think you’re an amazing Zora!”

Unsure of what to respond, the Prince blushed again.

Enu walked back over to his mate, chuckling briefly. "Well, this sure is fun, but the Koi needs to be brought somewhere safe," he announced. "Those poachers will bring backup and it won't be so much fun when they come prepared."

"Agreed," Verim replied and straightened his back. "We have a place set up for the Koi back at the Domain. We shall take him there." He paused and let his gaze linger on Enu, much to the frustration of Zaris. "You two should come. You hold vital information that we need in our case against the Hylian King." It wasn't a question. It wasn't even a request.

"Fine," Zaris barked and rose to his feet.

His Hylian mate shot him a grin as they walked behind the Hammerhead.

"Shut up," Zaris grumbled.

"What are you doing?" The Hammerhead asked when Zaris dove into the river. "If those poachers bring back-up the first place they'll be looking is the Zora passage. It's not a risk worth taking."

The hybrid snorted. "Right. I almost forgot you Hammerheads are slow swimmers," he said with a harsh smile on his face.

Verim narrowed his eyes. "Right, I almost forgot you Great Whites have to be better at everything. I was talking about the Koi. He'll never be able to handle the current."

Zaris wanted to say something in response, but even he couldn't deny that the General was right. He released an angry grunt and stepped out of the water. "Great, so now we walk," he grumbled.

"Hey, walking's not too bad," Enu snorted and shoved his mate in the side.

The large Zora blushed.

"We'll have to stray away from this path and find a more hidden passage. There's some secret paths that the Hammerheads use to smuggle supplies into Hammerhead Hill. Let's follow that for now." Verim was back to his usual, authoritative self and it was strangely comforting. The group followed his orders without questions, such was his gift.

"What's the Zora Passage?" The Koi asked. Nayru was his name. He hadn't left the Prince's side since they’d started talking.

The Prince smiled. If there was anything he loved talking about it was history. "After the Great Calamity had been defeated by the Hero of Hyrule, the Zora Kingdom decided to expand their reach. Since Hyrule had been left in a state of terror for a century, every bit of hope to rebuild the land was required and so with the help of the Hylians we built the Zora Passage. It stretches miles throughout the country and offers safe passage for our kind to almost every place in Hyrule. There's markets, stores and inns everywhere along the Passage. Most of them are supervised by the Zora Military, but Hammerhead Hill is one of the few unguarded places along the Passage. That's why the Hylians were using it to transport you."

Nayru eyed him with fascination. The young Koi was filled with joy every time he learned something new, and there was a lot to learn. He'd never been outside of the poacher's supervision.

"Actually, the Hylians didn't help at all," Enu interrupted.

The Black Tip shot him a look. "What are you talking about?"

"The Zora Passage. It wasn't built by Hylians or Zoras. The Guardian of the Sea made it. Although I guess that counts as a Zora, since the Guardian is an Ancient Zora."

"That's just a myth," he replied. "I've read almost every history book in Hyrule. There's not even any evidence this guardian spirit exists."

"The Guardian is no spirit," Enu proceeded. There was a smug grin spread across his face. "And he is very real. An Ancient Zora with the power to control the ocean."

“Sounds an awful lot like your mate,” the General interrupted.

The Hylian laughed. "Zaris? No, he can’t do more than create waves. I am talking a Zora that controls entire oceans."

Kota raised a brow at him. "Alright, what do you think happened then?"

"Right after the Calamity, Zora's Domain was confronted with many consequences of the evil that had bestowed upon Hyrule. Although the Calamity didn't affect their Kingdom directly, there were many things left unseen outside of the Kingdom. The Guardian of the Sea knew of this evil and came to the Domain to teach them about the Hylian poachers smuggling Zoras and Zora parts. The late King Dorephan and his late son Prince Sidon, later crowned King Sidon, realised their reach beyond the Domain was little to non existent. So to stop the poachers from continuing their business the Hylians agreed to ban the industry. However, the Hylians had many other problems to focus on due to the destruction the Calamity had caused and the poachers managed to maintain their business. Prince Sidon did his best to appease the criminals, but it was hard to find them all. They quickly learned to hide in places that were hard to reach for Zoras. The Guardian realised the poachers would never be caught if the Zora Kingdom had no way of reaching them and thus in a single night he created all of these rivers, which the Zoras named the Zora Passage."

The Prince huffed. "That's a completely different story from the history books. Everyone knows the poachers were part of the reason the Passage was created, but it wasn't made in a single night. Even if that Guardian exists and was somehow involved in it, there's no way it could make this all in a few hours." He didn't actually know much about the Guardian of the Sea, but surely if it existed there would be more but mere myths written about it.

"History has a funny way of changing over the generations, much like our own memories do," the Hylian spoke with a mild shrug. "But I assure you the Guardian of the Sea is very real and a lot more powerful than you can imagine."

"You're an interesting little Hylian, Enu," the General responded.

Then, Zaris came to an abrupt halt. "Backup is here."

While the Hylian was quick to grab his bow, the other Zoras appeared confused. The Koi, well, he didn't know much about what was going in in general.

"I don't smell a thing," Kota said.

Zaris glanced down at him. "Magic," he mumbled and pointed at the amulet.

That really didn't clear much up. However, there were more important matters at hand right now. Kota continued to use his nose while looking around.

"How close are they?" The General asked. "We may be able to avoid a confrontation."

"No," Zaris stated. "A shipment to the King is far too important. They've put a tracking spell on him. Until we can find someone to reverse it we will have to fight them off." He took a deep breath and his body started to glow faintly. "Don't worry, this will be over quick."

The Hammerhead chuckled. "I don't doubt you, but don't count us out just yet, big guy," he murmured.

The Prince took it upon himself to warn the Koi. "Nayru, I think it's best you find somewhere to hide," he said. "Nayru?"

The Koi was seemingly frozen, gazing at the setting sun. He did not respond until the Black Tip tapped his shoulder. "Hm?" He didn’t look away. "The sky... It's so full of colours. It looks like it's on fire. I’ve never seen so many colours. It's... amazing."

Kota raised his brows, a pit forming in his stomach. "You've never seen a sunset?”

The Koi looked up. “Sunset?”

The Black Tip sighed. Fuck. Poor guy.

“Here they come!” The General warned them.

Kota quickly escorted the Koi away from the scene.

Three motored boats came speeding up to them, with several Hylians riding each of them. They didn’t get a chance to draw their weapons, however. A sudden wave flung them right into the air, followed by a whip-like splash of water that sent them crashing into the shore. 

Zaris used a wave to lunge himself at the Hylians. Hitting them with large shots of water, the Hylians were knocked out before they could respond.

That was, all but one. The remaining Hylian had managed to flee the scene and jumped into the Passage to retrieve one of the boats.

“Bad choice,” Verim muttered as he jumped in and intercepted the Hylian. He tossed him back onto the ground and restrained the male by his arms. “Not so fast.”

Zaris turned to look at the General and huffed. “Wow, you were right not to count you out. You managed to catch one whole Hylian,” he said sarcastically. Flicking his wrist, a shot of water hit the restrained Hylian in the head and knocked him out.

The General snorted. “I’ll happily have a sparring match with you. No weapons, no magic. Then we’ll see who comes out on top.” His tone was far too amused for it to be an actual challenge. It was something else he was after.

Although steaming with rage, the hybrid didn’t have a response.

“Let’s get out of here,” the Hammerhead instructed. 

“Shouldn’t we arrest them?” The Prince asked with the Koi clinging onto his arm.

“Given the fact the Hylian King was in on this I doubt we’ll be granted permission,” the General said. “We’ll take him to the Faron Sea. That area is heavily guarded and I know a few people, so he’ll be safe there for now.”

The Black Tip blinked. “Shouldn’t we be heading back to the Domain?” He sounded concerned.

“It’s too far away. We have to deal with that tracking spell first. Besides, I’d like to uncover a little more information before we take this to the Queen. Enu, where does King Alum keep these rare Zoras?”

“Inside the palace.”

The Hammerhead frowned in thought. “A risky place to keep an illegal collection, but I suppose no one can simply walk in there and have a look. Us included. I doubt anyone other than Queen Carcha could grant an audience.”

Kota shook his head. “She wouldn’t want to risk it. Besides, she won’t believe King Alum is involved just because two strangers said so.”

“Isn’t the Koi evidence enough?” Enu asked.

“He was never actually in the King’s possession,” Verim said. “He is no more than proof that the Koi breeding business still exists, but that is nothing new.”

The Hylian took a moment to think. “Well, they did talk about an outpost on Dueling Peaks. Apparently that’s where they are holding a Zora that had been stirring up trouble for the King. So much he returned him.”

The General raised his brows. “Really? Now that would be some hard evidence if we could get that guy to testify. He probably knows more about this whole collection, too.”

“Am I… Am I coming with you?” Kota asked, nervously awaiting the General’s response.

“You’re the Prince. You should be giving **_him_ ** orders,” Zaris barked.

Still intimidated by the large hybrid, the Prince gave him an awkward glance and nodded.

“You took those Hylians out with ease, Kota,” the General said. “I’ll gladly have you join me. That is, if you want to.”


End file.
